Woman Condemned

Letter from Tiffany Cole, dated June 16th, that just totally made me sick. She spoke of how criminal justice majors from the local universities are lead through as tourists. They stand at her cage and state her charges and personal characteristics. Most of which are flawed facts, giving something as basic as her age, incorrectly. She isnt allowed to speak to them only to stand mute, in her pajamas or underwear or whatever she may be in as they come through. They stop and look. Gaze at the monster. This 135 lbs pixie, light of skin but dark of eyes can only turn her back and cover her ears and bring back whisps of the days before she was bullied and harrassed and threatened into making a life or death choice. Which, ulitmately, has given her death anyway. Ironic.

My latest letter from Kelly Gissendaner is mostly about her hatred of the book writtern about her, "First We'll Kill My Husband." She says it is full of so many lies that she violently threw it around her cell for several minuets, ripping it to shreds under her feet and beneath her fists. She remarks how the author never once met with her or contacted her in any way. She also talks of her appeals and how damaging this older book still is to her case and the actual facts. I always think of Celest Beard and her lesbian lover Tracy who killed her husband by blowing his stomach apart. I dont know Kellys case and I barely know Celest's but for some reason one puts me in mind of another. Kelly is another instance where her lover did the killing of the spouse and NOT her. If I remember correctly at the moment, I believe Kelly is even saying she did not know her lover planned to kill him. But there she sits on death row when the lover got a life sentence. ...

Gaile Owens story on the Nashville Scene The above link is a really good article on the Gaile Owens debacle. If you ever wanted to know what exactly Ive been ranting about its a good one to read. Her execution is set for Sept and if Gov. Bredesen doesnt commute her she will be the first woman executed in the state since the Civil War- more than 200 years ago.